![[Image]](/web/20080802132048im_/http://www.chessassistance.com/Images/ch_as_header2.jpg)
What is the purpose of this site?
ChessAssistance.com is a resource for users of Convekta products. It offers product news and reviews, instructional articles and free downloads. Most of the material is designed for Chess Assistant users, hence the name of the site :-).
Do you work for Convekta? Who the heck are you anyway?
You can think of me as a private contractor. I maintain this website, and Convekta supports me with a small stipend, which covers my hosting costs, and not too much else. They also supply the software that is discussed on the site. If you enjoy the site, then I would encourage you to tell Convekta, and your friends.
![[Bob]](/web/20080802132048im_/http://www.chessassistance.com/Images/bob.jpg) |
In addition to maintaining ChessAssistance.com, I also have a Ph.D. in electronics engineering, and am a freelance writer in my spare time. I've written "The Chess Software Sourcebook", and co-authored "Cycling in Cyberspace". You may also have seen my articles on computer chess in the US chess publication "Chess Life". The Chess Flashcard Trainer software was my creation, and www.chessreviews.com, as well.
If you are curious as to what I look like, here is a photo of me (see page right). You might run into me at the occasional tournament in the Richmond or Washington D.C. area.
BTW, I have plenty of other interests besides chess. I am also an avid cyclist and a runner. Music, most notably, art- and progressive- rock, are favorites of mine as well.
Can you provide technical support?
The short answer is no. I am not an employee of Convekta, so I cannot answer technical support questions. If you have an idea for a topic you'd like me to write about, or if you wish to comment on an existing article, then simply send an e-mail to rjpawlak@aol.com. If you have technical support questions, then contact Convekta technical support.
I've got a file I'd like to share....
I would love to have any additions to the downloads section, since this is one area of the site that people visit a lot. Just send the file to me via e-mail, or if you can host the file (preferred), send me the link.
Aren't you the guy from ChessReviews.com?
Yes, that's me. I got tired of doing reviews, and decided to start this new website.
Why should I buy Convekta products?
I have almost no commercial interest in whether you buy a Convekta product or not. However, I would like to see them succeed in the market for a couple of reasons. One is that they make the best software. The other is that they treat their customers with respect.
Now let me relate a short story to you. Some years ago, I purchased my first three chess programs. One was Chessica, and the other two were CT-ART and Studies.
E-mailing technical support at Tasc (the makers of Chessica) was an exercise in frustration. Major bugs in the program were not fixed, and technical support was totally unresponsive. I spent several months trying to get them to fix things, and got extremely frustrated. Eventually, I simply gave up, and chalked it up to experience.
At the same time, I was dealing with Convekta. CT-ART and Studies (for DOS!) ran fine on my original computer, but when I upgraded, neither program would run. I e-mailed Convekta, and was expecting to be out of luck, but I received a patch the next day via e-mail. I had a couple of other questions, and they were always quick to respond.
I am not saying that they have perfect technical support. But I will say that they treated me with respect, and were helpful, even before I started reviewing chess programs on the web.
Furthermore, they are very interested in doing neat things, even though they may not make a cent off of the idea. Take a look at CAP-II, for instance. Convekta has donated large amounts of both programming and computer time to this effort. This is not a money making venture. But it supports the advancement of knowledge about the opening phase of the game. Maybe this attitude won't make them a huge commercial success, but it certainly shows that they are interested in other things besides making a buck.
Where is that April Fool's article you wrote? I've looked around, and can't find it...
I've taken it out of the main indexes, and placed it here.